Must Try!

5

Posted on 04 / 23 / 2015

This has got to be the best vegan restaurant in the country and probably one of the top restaurants across the board. You have to book weeks in advance but this is a definite place you want to dine in. A little expensive, but what top notch restaurant isn't? I'm still dreaming of their rutabaga fondue. Even my non-vegan husband raved about this place. Service was faultless by knowledgable staff and they were professional but very friendly. My only complaint is that they're three hours from where I live! :(

absolutely delicious

4

Posted on 01 / 15 / 2015

I went on a date to Vedge for a special occasion (as it's a little pricey). We had 6 incredible dishes and 3 adult beverages. We spent just shy of $150, and 1 hour later we were ordering veggie burritos.

definitely a favorite

4

Posted on 12 / 06 / 2014

I loved this place and will definitely go again. However, probably only on a special occasion. A friend of mine brought me here one time as a "surprise". I didn't expect it to be as upscale as it was, I should have dressed a lot nicer. We had reservations it was VERY expensive and of course the portions were small so we had to get three courses as well as dessert. All of it was very delicious though. I guess I liked the feeling of leaving not feeling like I over ate. Overall a good experience. Would recommend for a birthday or anniversary date for a vegan friend.

great experience

5

Posted on 11 / 02 / 2014

I picked Vedge for my birthday and had a great time! I had been wanting to try it for awhile and it didn't disappoint!! I was so full after dinner because we kept ordering more and more plates - too many good things to try. Atmosphere is sophisticated and the staff super-knowledgable.

Simply Exquisite!

5

Posted on 10 / 18 / 2014

I've been to multiple vegan restauranta these past two months, and this is my favorite. Their servings are gourmet size dishes so I would advise having at least three. The creativity and the mix of flavors is amazing!

Absolutely awesome!!!!!!!!

5

Posted on 07 / 08 / 2014

I went to Vedge with my parents the other night and we all loved it! We shared everything we ordered which meant that we each got to try half the menu! There was not a single thing I tasted that I did not like. I think my favorite thing though was this delicious dessert that had chocolate and peanut butter and a crunchy crust, I also liked all of the savory food but most of it was too interesting and complex for me to describe. Nonetheless, it was all amazing and if you happen to be in Philadelphia and have the money you should absolutely go there!

Pretentious & Overrated

2

Posted on 07 / 02 / 2014

Reports of high prices for small servings did not bother me in the least. We are used to fine dining & seek it in every city we visit. We found the facility great, but our waiter was BAD. He was unwilling or unable to explain contents of dishes beyond the menu description. He left abruptly when I was first trying to get info about one menu item & acted condescending when I asked about preparation of another item, as if there was no other possible preparation. We asked him at one point to allow us to speak with someone else, & he never allowed that. Short of making a scene, we had no choice other than to soldier through an expensive, sub-par meal.

The cocktails were marvelous. Food was fairly mediocre but we've had several better vegan meals during our visit to Philly.

birthday dinner!

5

Posted on 05 / 22 / 2014

The finest vegan cuisine imaginable...wow. Creative beyond belief, upscale, hip. The maitre de was snooty and haughty, but the server made up for the poor reception...and the food is crazy good. Smoked carrots and mushroom consommé. ..ahhh.

Love Vedge for Special Occasions!

5

Posted on 05 / 17 / 2014

The hubby and I love Vedge, I think even more than Horizons particularly because of the Dirt List. We love the Dirt List, and aps, drinks and deserts, however, the entrees can be hit or miss. Everything on the Dirt List is just amazing. The fingerling potatoes are outstanding as well as the shaved brussels sprouts. As far as the entrees go, I always seem to love their seitan dishes but the tofu dishes are kinda flat. The roasted trumpet and maitake mushrooms and seared hearts of palm are fantastic. After that, everything seems to be really hit or miss. None of the entrees are bad, it’s just that some are amazing and others are just ‘good’. When we go to Vedge we mostly stick to the dirt list, aps, drinks, desert, and have 1 or 2 of the entrees between the 2 of us we know will be delicious. To us the prices are in line with what you are getting. The food quality and ambiance are fantastic. That being said, it is still an expensive meal, so we only go 2-3 times a year. Portions are intentionally small, so be sure to order a variety of items. I actually appreciate that because I like to eat a variety and try a little bit of everything. I noticed someone mentioning bringing their child to this restaurant was an issue. I have to admit, I would rather not see a child at this restaurant. If I’m spending that much, I really don’t want to have to hear an impatient or upset child. That being said, the staff clearly handled that issue very badly. The staff has always been very wonderful and are very accommodating of my food intolerances.

Pros: totally vegan and not a dive, so rare!!!, creative menu and artful presentation, doesn't rely on fake meat Cons: seemed like too much use of oil in cooking, some items looked over worked (smoked carrot thing

Fabulous

Vedge is unbelievable

5

Posted on 12 / 04 / 2013

We drove up from northern Virginia to have dinner and celebrate a birthday. I am the only vegan in the group, yet EVERYONE was blown away by the quality, the favors, presentation and most of all the taste.

I enjoyed the fact that there was not a focus on faux meats. That vegetables and spicy worked so well together. I really enjoyed the shawarma of carrots.

I wish we had more of this in other places. Also wish I did not have to drive 2.5 hours yo enjoy such a great meal. But it was well worth it. We are taking friends up next month. For the day and the food.

An unsurpassed experience

5

Posted on 11 / 01 / 2013

Never had I had such a divine vegan meal until I came to Vedge, and I have dined at various upscale vegan restaurants across the country. The menu was original and sophisticated; the food was thoughtfully prepared, beautifully executed, and exquisitely presented. As everybody noted, portions are small, but they are meant to be, so you can have fun putting together your own tasting menu. I much prefer this style because then I can try more dishes without the fear of ordering too much. Two of us went big and had 11 dishes (including two desserts). We left well sated, so I would say 4-5 items per person would be a decent amount of food.

The food was truly spectacular. I enjoyed every single dish, maybe except for the sunchokes, which I found a bit underwhelming in comparison (my partner loved them though). Thinking back I would’ve gone for the widely raved fingerling potatoes instead. The stars of the evening were the beets, the braciole, and the sticky toffee pudding. The beets might sound a bit meh, but holy shiitake! The creative combination of ingredients and flavors was genuinely impressive. The braciole was an eggplant roll filled with finely processed cauliflower, then baked (grilled?) to give it a charred top. It was surprisingly sturdy and held up incredibly well. Absolutely delicious. The sticky toffee pudding was the most luscious and comforting dessert I’ve had in a long while. The cake was pleasantly dense; the crumb was kept moist thanks to the sauce. So ridiculously good!

The setting was modern yet cozy. Service was prompt and attentive without being intrusive. Our waitress checked on us multiple times during our meal and kept our water glasses filled. We never had to wait to catch her attention for anything. Whenever we left the table, she would quickly come over and refold the napkins, which showed professionalism and added a fine dining touch to the semi-casual atmosphere.

Our bill came to $138 pre tip with a glass of wine, which was on par with the cost of a multi-course tasting menu for two at a comparable establishment. It was worth every penny and very reasonable for the quality. Gah, too bad I don't live in Philly!

My All-Time Favorite Place

5

Posted on 05 / 13 / 2013

I was a huge Horizons' fan when they had it in South Philly. My boyfriend took me there the first time for my 20th birthday and it instantly became our "special occasion" place. When they closed to open Vedge, I was devastated.

But hallelujah Vedge was SO worth the wait. This place is amazing. As another reviewer said, words won't do this place justice.

From the ambiance, to the drink menu, to the appetizers, to the small plates, to the desserts, everything is always a hit.

If they don't have Vedge in heaven, I don't want to go. Seriously. Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby have a way with food that every person, vegan or not, should experience.

Praises aside- at first I was skeptical of the serving style. The plates are smaller and not entree size. After experiencing it, this is genius. You get to try many different dishes without over-indulging.

Horizons will always be my favorite...

5

Posted on 05 / 08 / 2013

...but Vedge is still light-years above the rest. I only wish they expanded and kept both locations. Ah, to dream. I still treat Vedge with the same awe-inspired reverence any humble vegan would, whispering about it in top secret vegan meetings and wondering what their secret weapon is. Actually, just get their cookbook. It's all in there, if you can even begin to invest the time, energy, love, and dedication to the mastery of the culinary craft that makes Vedge vegan heaven. Go there. Order anything. Make inappropriate sounds of gluttonous food coma bliss. Then order dessert. Oh, and dress nice, you hippie :)

Pros: perfect for special occasions, impeccable food/drink menus, next step in the evolution of veganism Cons: none, none, none

Best vegan restaurant in the world!

5

Posted on 05 / 02 / 2013

You have to experience this place for yourself. Words will not do this place justice.
The food is world class fine dining which just happens to be 100% vegan.
The service is outstanding. If you can’t get a table check out the happy hour. All menu items are available at the bar.

VEGAN AWESOMENESS!

5

Posted on 02 / 06 / 2013

We stumbled across Vedge while on a bit of a food adventure, when we walked in it was slammed - at 8pm on a TUESDAY (always a great sign). While a little pricey, Vedge is a vegan fine-dining experience that is so very well worth it. Vedge possesses a soft and romantic ambiance. A DELICIOUS and incredible vegan experience. AMAZING. The best vegan restaurant I've ever been too (and I make a point of going to as many as possible). They have their standard set menu, intended to be consumed in a tapas-style fashion, as well as their changed-daily "Dirt" menu (fresh veggies and such).
My favorite dish was the smoked-mustard shaved brussel sprouts. There are not enough "yums" to even cover it. It was divine. We also had the blackened smoked cauliflower, some-sort of amazing grilled tofu, and the kimchee stew, all of which were delicious. We finished off our meal with a killer (vegan obviously) ice-cream trio consisting of chocolate-whiskey, bananas foster (INCREDIBLE), and toasted coconut sorbet.Do yourself a favor, go there. It's so very,very worth it.

Seasonal Menu

3

Posted on 02 / 02 / 2013

I have been to Vedge at least a half a dozen times. After the first visit I was terribly smitten. The food was amazing! Yes, it was expensive, and yes, it is a small plate restaurant, so don't don't expect an overflowing plate. That being said, it is a seasonal restaurant, which means the menu changes. Not everything, but enough to be a different offering.When the next menu came out, I wasn't as enthralled with the food. The service slipped, the seasoning was a little off, and it didn't have that polished vibe. In fact, I felt like serving me was an inconvenience! As others noted, definitely not worth the price. Maybe they got too complacent with their original success? I've been hesitant to got back. I'm sure I will eventually, but it was off enough, and I was put off, to be hesitant to put out the bucks.

Just Great

4

Posted on 01 / 26 / 2013

Better than any vegan restaurants in NYC! The service was a little loose, there were two girls at dinner and they kept confusing our dishes. The wine list was good, not great. But the food! I loved how they didn't overuse tofu or seitan. They used seasonal produce very well. The dishes were seasoned very well. The cheesecake was superb. I had a fresh heart of palm crepe that stood out. Also the eggplant braciole was perfect. This is a place for good food, vegan or not. I hope to go back soon.

First class!

5

Posted on 01 / 10 / 2013

This is the best vegan restuarant I have ever been to. The atmosphere is first class, not at all a 'typical' hole in the wall type of place. It is a first class place and yes it does have first class prices as well but what is your health worth? The focus at Vedge seems to be turning vegetables into the most delicious meals, really showcasing vegetables' taste. They are not trying to make dishes that remind you of SAD (standard american diet), this was all about putting a spotlight on vegetables. The dishes seem to all be tapas style and between 4 people we ordered about 15 items because we kept wanting to try everything. We also ordered all 5 desserts, I know we were gluttonous that night but everything was so amazing that we went a little nuts! I went here with two people whose normal diet is meat-centric and both said that this was the best meal they had ever had, both the ambiance and the food. The service was great as were the drinks. This is THE place to take people you want to introduce to vegan/vegetarian food.

Best Vegan Restaurant Ever

5

Posted on 10 / 05 / 2012

I had an incredible culinary experience at Vedge this evening. This was the first time (but not the last time!!) that I dined here.

The ambience and atmosphere of the restaurant is sophisticatedly welcoming and very professional. Servers were dressed in uniform attire as were the kitchen staff and chefs. There are four different areas of the restaurant. The reception area hosts a solid bar which continues into a cocktail lounge. There are two dinning areas- one in the principal dining room and another sharing the same space as the chefs who prepare the hot entrees. Rich woods, white walls, stunning windows, and red brick adorn this upscale restaurant.

I appreciated the simplicity of the dinner menu, and I ordered the following items.

I started off with a melody of mixed green olives with fennel and preserved lemon listed under sMaLL BiTes on the menu for $5.

The main entrees are listed under PLATes and are either cold or hot. I selected one of each. I ordered the cold entree of the salt roasted gold beets with avocado, smoked tofu, rye, capers and creamy cucumbers for $10 followed by the hot entree of grilled seitan, creamy turnips, beech mushrooms, English peas, and truffle mustard for $16.

On the seasonal menu, smartly referred to as ThE dirt list, I ordered nebrodini mushroom as "fazzoletti" with oven roasted cherry tomatoes with basil for $9. Note, ThE dirt list consists of creative dishes inspired by locally sourced produce.

If you are looking for an upscale, gourmet dinning experience, I highly recommend that you visit Vedge. I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner. This is by far the best vegan restaurant that I have ever dined at.

The Best Ever!!!!!

5

Posted on 09 / 13 / 2012

First, let's talk about the 450lb gorilla in the room....Yes, as mentioned in other reviews the portions are small. They tell you that up front and as long as you approach your menu choices with the right attitude, you'll leave the restaurant happy and fully satiated.
Located in central Philly, this restaurant was within walking distance of my hotel. It was a quick 5 minute walk to Vegan Restaurant Paradise.
My server, Keren was super enthusiastic and helpful in helping me make my menu choices. On her recommendation I ordered the Candy Onion Tart "Pisaladiere",Roasted Miatake Mushroom with Celery Root Fritter accompanied by Shaved Grilled Brussels Sprouts.
The onion tart was presented beautifully on a piece of slate and the complex interplay of the subtle flavours in the Potato leek salad that accompanied it were spectacular. The tart itself was sweet, yet tangy in a light pastry cup.
The main course Mushrooms were roasted beautifully and the celery root fritter was spectacular. The real star of the show for me was the grilled, shaved, brussels sprouts. They were cooked to perfection and accented with a lovely smoked mustard sauce.
The meal was finished by a strawberry sorrel bread pudding with saffron ice cream. The strawberries were perfectly accented by the sorrel and the ice cream had the most delicate flavor with a light saffron finish on the palate.
Total cost $42.12. So that proves you can have a filling delicious meal even though the portons appear small! This is true fine dining in the purest sense. The price is not unreasonable for the quality of cuisine here. It was the most inspiring veg meal I've ever had and Vedge is the main reason I will return to Philadelphia from my home in Canada with my family soon.

A better vegan restaurant than Vedge? Not likely.

5

Posted on 07 / 21 / 2012

OK, this place is GREAT. (FYI, it's owned by the same people who had Horizons.) Everything my wife & I had ranged from "very good" to "superb". Nice atmosphere, convenient location, good (and friendly) service, and (considering the quality of the offerings) not unreasonably priced. This does not mean that it was inexpensive; far from it-- but in this case, you get what you pay for. Go try & find a great VEGAN restaurant with this quality food ANYWHERE in the US. It's not so easy. They're far and few between. Furthermore,
there just aren't many areas in the country that can really support an establishment of this type-- the clientelle for them (in most cities and towns) just doesn't exist in numbers that will allow a business like Vedge to thrive.

Yes, the "plates" are small. THAT'S THE STYLE. Need larger portions that are less expensive? Go to GOVINDA. And as far as the ice cream goes, the three flavors aren't offered as a SUNDAE. They'e SUPPOSED to be dissimilar! By the way, the wine list is incredible-- and they DO have a full bar, so you're not limited to the (rather strange) coctails that appear on the menu. Will we go back again the next time we're in Philly? Oh, yes.

Vedge - LOVE IT

5

Posted on 07 / 13 / 2012

LOVE IT!!!

Let me preface this with, I generally don't use emoticons or hearts in my reviews (there would be some here if HC allowed me to submit them), but I'm so head-over-heels for Vedge that I can't help it! I only ate there two times during my Philly visit, but two times was not nearly enough! Be prepared for some flavor/sensory overload during your visit, you won't be disappointed!

So let me run through what we ordered:

The Bite Board, which comes with olives, lupini beans, house made pickles, white bean sauerkraut puree - the white bean sauerkraut puree was to die for, and the lupine beans were pretty great too!!!

Nothing Like It!!

5

Posted on 07 / 09 / 2012

Vedge is spectacular!!!! Have been there more than a dozen times with friends and on several occasions with our young children. The staff is incredibly accommodating -- Bartender Daniel is super friendly and owners Kate and Rich are very personable and attentive. We love this place and go there almost once a week to get our "fix". There is just no other restaurant with such amazing food anywhere, including NYC. Our favorites dishes are from the "Dirt List". The fingerling potatoes, Brussel sprouts and cauliflower are amongst our "must have" items. The main menu also offers great variety and desserts to please any pallets. Tremendous vision in putting together this great, new Philly hotspot!

incredible food - not as intimate as horizons

5

Posted on 07 / 01 / 2012

I was a hardcore Horizons fan, and so upset when they closed! Finally got over to Vedge and while the food was spectacular and certainly shared many flavors with its predecessor, the dining experience was totally different. First of all, it's huge! The service was polished, but impersonal. The decor is very formal, unlike the colorful, warm ambience of Horizons. It's also a different format - more of a tapas style menu from which you select several small items. This enables you to sample many selections rather than having to just choose 1 entree.

The cocktails at Vedge were a little disappointing. My husband and I shared 3 over the course of our meal. The only one I liked was the Kyoto Sour. The Creole Gent and Mixed Berry Cobbler just tasted like pure alcohol, the former with a piece of orange rind and the latter with a few berries thrown in. I thought something called a Cobbler would be a lot sweeter and fruitier.

From the "plates" menu we shared Portabella Carpaccio, Salt Roasted Golden Beets, Spicy Grilled Tofu and Grilled Seitan. From the Dirt menu we got Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Fingerling Fries. The portabella plate was ridiculously small! The mushrooms were sliced so thinly that it was hard to even taste them if you didn't eat 2 or 3 at once. It was probably 1/5 of a portabella mushroom in total. Very fine tasting, but micromini! The beet plate was very nice - a little round stack of tofu, cucumber and succulent beets accompanied by small triangles of rye bread. I really enjoyed the little bursts of capers. The tofu was a miss for me - just very cakey compact tofu in a too-spicy sauce. The seitan was beyond wonderful, but made me miss Horizons. I don't think the lentils added much to this dish. The items from the dirt list were really the standouts from the meal. The brussels were phenomenal, like I have never tasted brussels sprouts before. And the fingerling fries are the best thing I can remember eating. Ever. They were crispy and tangy and heavenly.

For dessert, we shared a Chocolate Pot de Creme and the Ice Cream Trio. The chocolate was scrumptious - lusciously creamy and with course grain salt on top. It also came with biscotti, but that was pretty unnecessary. The ice cream trio was kind of a weird combo of flavors - strawberry swirl (some of the best ice cream I've ever had), hot chocolate (very nice) and grapefruit (refreshing). All good on their own, just not together.

Over it...

3

Posted on 03 / 28 / 2012

I was delighted to find out that this restaurant was located so close to where I stay when I'm in town. I placed an order to pick-up. The lady that took my order informed me that I should probably order 2-3 entrees, as their portions are small. I ordered an appetizer (lupini beans), entree (steak seasoned seared tofu) and a dessert (apple turnover). The appetizer, which is listed as a 'small bite' provided me with enough of these horrendous beans to last a lifetime. Both the entree and dessert were terrific, though. The portions were incredibly small and way over-priced. Even though I enjoyed my two of my tiny items, I refuse to pay these prices for mere morsels. Upscale does not have to = over-priced.

Expensive and Not Family Friendly

2

Posted on 02 / 25 / 2012

We made reservations for Vedge a month in advance and stated at that time that we had a child who would need a high chair. The day before our reservation we received a call from someone at Vedge who told us they have no high chairs and that if we wanted to bring our child we would have to hold him while dining there. Not wanting to miss out on a great vegan restaurant we went there as scheduled. The food was very good, although expensive. The restaurant experience, however, was disappointing. They management and staff seemed to be going out of their way to punish us for bringing our child. They stuck us in a table in the middle of the floor so that people could not pass by us; they gave us very slow service compared to those around us; and several staff members kept coming over to our table to remind us they don't have high chairs. Don't vegan restaurants have a limited audience enough without having to further limit themselves to patrons without children?

Good food if you aren't hungry!

2

Posted on 01 / 12 / 2012

I went to Vedge for dinner. It is a very upscale restaurant and very pricey for the extremely small portions. Each person needs to order three to five items off the menu to feel full. Vedge is definately not Horizons. I will never go there again.

Great date

5

Posted on 12 / 28 / 2011

Vedge is a great, upscale vegan restaurant. I took my non-vegan husband and he loved it. Portions are small, so you need to order two dishes per person and there's still room for a mouth-watering dessert. It was reasonably priced for such a nice restaurant. We went on a wednesday night and it was busy so if you go on a weekend, I suggest a reservation. The mushroom dish was so great and I totally recommend it. That is what my husband ate, and we both loved it.

Excellent

5

Posted on 12 / 18 / 2011

We were looking for somewhere special for a birthday dinner and this was exactly what we wanted. Delicious food, well prepared, with great service all added up to a lovely time. Be aware you need to order 2-3 things per person to feel full, but the dishes are priced accordingly and it means you get to have a variety of items off the menu. Several steps up from your usual decent vegetarian restaurant.